The influence of lighting in retail- A Day at Signify
Out of all of this year’s LFRA Overseas Study Tour experiences, a unanimous favourite for the entire team was the visit to Signify’s headquarters, just across the Belgium border.
Signify is the new company name of Philips Lighting and a world-leader in lighting for high-quality, energy-efficient lighting products, systems, and services.
As soon as we arrived at Signify HQ, the team took LFRA Study Tour attendees on a journey through the usage of light, its influence on our lives, and most significantly, the influence it has in retail, work, and public spaces.
After being welcomed with a heart-felt video which signified the importance of light in our everyday lives, and even perhaps underlined a lack of appreciation of the effect light has in our day to day, the team embarked on a journey through the effects of lighting in retail and workspaces.
With a very basic understanding of the need to implement appropriate lighting in stores and the effect good lighting has on the mood or atmosphere of any store; the presentation from Signify team proved that these concepts go far beyond merely hue, colour, and strength.
The tour was led through a series of retail and supermarket settings in which they demonstrated the effect of lighting on product appearance and enticement, customer mood and target demographics, which in turn influenced and drove customer sales in particular settings.
The team began in a supermarket setting where the temperature effect of lighting influenced the enticing appearance of various food categories; from fresh produce to warm red tones for red meat, cooler blue tones for fresh seafood and champagne tones for baked goods.
Each display purposefully enriched each food items appearance, enhancing the colour and freshness of the product. The team also explained the influence of new innovative lighting technology that tracked the steps and direction of each shopper, including the detection of time spent in each section.
This data is then collated and used to guide product placement and design within a supermarket, to increase foot traffic throughout all areas of the store.
LFRA members were then guided into a retail setting, where the Signify team demonstrated how the lighting colour, temperature and quality can influence the appearance of the garment, even to target a particular demographic, such as age or gender.
The tour concluded in an office setting, where it was explained how throughout the various hours of the day, businesses have sought to pay particular attention to detail in the lighting projected on the office floor to maintain productivity and stimulate workers to complete the day more efficiently.
This included tactics such as: dimming lights during eating times and even brightening the floor as the afternoon progresses, when employees tire and require extra bright stimulation to complete the day.
The intricate detail paid to lighting in each of these settings was nothing short of fascinating and incredible. The entire LFRA Study Tour continued to talk about the experience in the days to come and it was an undeniable highlight of the trip for the entire team.
The tour was rich with key learnings and insights that all attendees could take back and implement into strategic planning in retail lighting back home, while fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the impact of lighting in everyday life.
